First Ride: Zero’s XE brings electric power to the dirt

It’s here to prove that it can make its way into dirt bikes, too. It’s why we’re testing this motorbike – the Zero XE – to see if plug-in power is the way to go when you’re venturing off-road, or if it’s not quite the right fit.

But there’s plenty of ‘proper’ equipment on the XE. You get a chunky front fork with 210mm of travel, and a rear shock with 85mm of travel. It’s got a classic staggered wheel size, too, with a 21-inch front wheel matched to a smaller 18-inch rear wheel for better agility when you’re heading off-road.

Zero says that if you travelled at a steady 31 miles for much of the time you could get 65 miles of range – though we found during our very-cold test ride that it fell a bit short of that after some brisk riding.

What about charging? Well, you can remove the 4.3kWh battery and charge it back from flat to 95 per cent in five hours.

But realistically, this is a bike designed primarily for off-road use, so how does it get on there? Very well, actually. Again, that lightness plays to the XE’s strengths, while its nimble handling helps when you’re navigating larger obstacles. The issue we found, however, is that the sheer level of torque heading to the rear wheel means that the back tyre can suffer from quite a bit of spin, particularly if you’re riding on slippery or greasy areas like our clay-based test route.

There aren’t any other colourways to choose from, though the white, red and black combination that Zero has chosen looks good.

All XE models get some cool equipment as standard, however, including twin LED headlights, and a compact 2.4-inch colour TFT display which is clear and easy to read, despite being relatively small. It’s here that you can see the bike’s remaining range, headlight setting and kickstand status, among other features.

The Zero XE is quite an interesting alternative to your usual off-road motorcycle. Of course, if you’re planning to travel further afield, then this bike’s range won’t suit, nor will its relatively low top speed if you need to head to a dual carriageway in between.

However, if you’re going local – or taking your bike in a van – then the XE’s lightweight nature could prove very appealing, as could its silent powertrain, which creates far less disturbance than your typical two-stroke.